After pushing himself to the limit for competitive glory, Frank McGrath launched his offseason with a chest workout as classic as the gym he performed it in. Get ready to feel like a bodybuilder.

Anyone who has ever been onstage at the peak of leanness knows that the triumph of being in competition shape comes at a steep price. You may look like the best version of yourself for a day, but you probably won’t feel like your best self for a while.

On the contrary, in the weeks leading up to the event, the basic rituals of the fit life, like training and eating, can become immense challenges. You may even have to force yourself to do things that used to be automatic. Even chewing can be a battle.

Basic Rituals Like Training And Eating Became Immense Challenges For Frank “Wrath” McGrath During The Weeks Leading Up To His First Major Show In Three Years.

But then, as quickly as a round of applause, it’s all over. The trophies get handed out, the sweats go back on, and the tan washes off. You have a meal (or several), carb up, and finally—there you are. Time to wake up again, live again, and yes, even train again.

Frank McGrath went through the wringer to prepare for his first major show in three years, and he detailed every step of the process in the video series Frank McGrath: The Making of an Animal. Then, five days later and 10-15 glorious pounds heavier, he headed to the legendary Ed Ryan’s Gym in Glenolden, Pennsylvania, for his first training session of the offseason.

With the cameras rolling and Ed Ryan himself in the house, this IFBB pro and fan favorite trained—what else?—chest. Think you can hang?

Feeling Like A Bodybuilder Again

If you watched Frank’s take on intuitive back training, you know that this pro likes to structure his workouts around a combination of the familiar and the impulsive. He has favorite movements that almost always make the cut in one form or another, but he always leaves himself open to a unique machine, a new handle, or a long-forgotten move.

Ed Ryan’s Gym is packed with old-school curiosities galore—after all, Ed has run it and kept it intact since 1960—so Frank had plenty of choices for this particular chest beating.

With The Offseason Officially Under Way, McGrath Decided It Was Time To Play. He Started By Getting Reacquainted With The Simple Incline Bench Press, One Of His Staple Moves.

“It’s almost like a warp back in time to when bodybuilding was real bodybuilding,” Wrath says of his session that day. But before he started exploring, he knew it was time to get reacquainted with the simple incline bench press, one of his staple moves to build an Animal chest.

“It wasn’t too heavy,” Wrath says of the workout. “I just competed a few days ago, so I didn’t want to go too crazy. Just getting a few more reps in, getting the squeeze, stuff like that.”

With the Band-Aid now pulled off and the offseason officially under way, Wrath decided it was time to play. He knocked out a few sets on a rattling old universal press machine with a bicycle-bar handle, followed by cable crosses using chain cables, and finally, some dips on a small station attached to the press machine.

Four moves, a mean pump, and he was done. This wasn’t some grueling trial-by-fire workout. It was about feeling good—and Wrath felt great.

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Paige Hathaway

PLEASE READ: Life is your greatest teacher. Annoyance teaches you patience. Abandonment teaches you how to stand on your own two feet. Anger teaches you forgiveness and compassion. Anything that has power over you teaches you how to get power back. Hate teaches you unconditional love. Fear teaches you courage and anything you can’t control teaches you how to let go...

I have learned many things in life from allowing my experiences to shape me. I firmly believe that life tests our strengths and equip us to endure what our future has in store. Heartache, hardship and physical turmoil are all just tests. Life won’t allow us to go through things that it knows we can’t handle. The question is WILL YOU BE STRONG ENOUGH to fight the battle? Will you let the storms of life pass and allow yourself to become a better person because of it... You can let life to be your greatest teacher or you can let life defeat you because of it. ✨🐛🦋 #MondayMotivation

Your right on point, besides persevering through a catastrophic accident I have learned how to forgive more and inspire others that need help.

10 - 1 day 2 hours ago

PLEASE READ: Hmmm Without contradicting you, because I respect you. Maybe we could look at this another way. Life teachers you nothing, life is just time. Your actions over time mould your character. We are obviously here to learn. Abandonment teaches you where to place your love. Anger teaches you how to function with control. Nothing has power over you unless you submit. Hate is an internal justice mechanism, it is perfectly justified to hate injustice or cruelty etc. Fear is a survival mechanism, it is up to us to discern the amount of danger associated with the fear. Ultimately, we can control nothing but ourselves and our actions. We are what we do. There is heaps more...But see ya next time. ♥️

3 - 22 hours 38 minutes ago

Yo gorgeous, how was Cleveland? Did it treat you right. All you had to do is text me and I would have been there. I guess there is always next time... Rawr

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